Estkonisa
Along the Hilus River, in the far northern reaches of Nieron, is the small nation of Estkonia. It wasn't until about thirty years ago anyone was even aware it existed, when they first figured out how to make radio equipment and began tuning in to international broadcasts. The other Nierese nations were shocked- as far as anyone knew, the northern reaches were completely uninhabitable. If one could get past the freezing cold of the farthest mountain reaches, the only thing waiting on the other side were the ruined docks districts of Serisia, which had become hotbeds for magical and mundane radiation mixes that twisted whatever they touched. The only thing that had ever come out of that area was water from the Hilus, and the occasional ion storm. As it turns out, some unknown quality about the conflicting energies left higher animals alone entirely, and there were quite a few survivors who had sealed themselves off from the Serisian holocaust, weathered the storms, and managed to thrive. They'd never been able to get over the mountains- no support, barely enough ability to sustain themselves, and even if there was the hills were infested with grotesque aberrations, mainly Shoggoths from when Scylla was hit with the Black Rains. Now that they have made contact with the rest of the system, the Estkonians have been spreading like wildfire- weapons and equipment imported from other countries in exchange for their exotic wares have allowed them to dominate almost the whole of the northern seaboard. Supplies of food from other nations have given them the power to quadruple their population in a single generation, and they're showing no signs of slowing their expansionism. If they can continue their current rate of expansion for another generation or two, they may become the first Nierese nation to be in a position to actually begin reclaiming the Serisian ruins, instead of just sending in salvage crews and Freelancers to find whatever they can carry back. The Estkonians attribute their successes to two things- their steadfast faith in their gods, and their violently efficient democratic bureaucracy. Most of the Estkonians revere the Pharaonic deities, especially Thoth, Bastet, and Isis- the clerics of these gods hold an esteemed and highly valued place in their society. Being isolated for so long, with such small populations incapable of accomplishing much scientific progress on their own, the divine magical powers granted to the faithful were often the only reliable means of tending to the injured and the sick. Even with the wealth of new medical and social technologies at their disposal that drastically reduce the need for heavy reliance on magic, the clerical orders wield great influence over society and local politics. This influence, coupled with a strong cultural identity favoring an almost frontier-like survivalistic attitude, allows them to have a very efficient democratic process. Bureaucrats, for all the power they wield, live in fear of the common folk and the clergy- knowing full well that wasting taxpayer time and money on anything that might be deemed frivolous or wasteful is a swift ticket to forced resignation. Officials which are found to be actively corrupt aren't even given that option, they simply appear dangling from their necks from the most convenient tree with their intestines hanging out. The Estkonians are a generally affable people, but any leader whose activities jeopardize lives simply cannot be tolerated. And they have no qualms proving it in a very grisly fashion if they think it necessary. Estkonia's primary exports are all sorts of strange, mutated plant and animal life, and various exotic goods- foods, spices, meats, eggs, sauces. The harmless-to-humanoids background radiation has filled their lands with all sorts of strange creatures whose flesh, blood, bones, and hides valuable to big game hunters, scientists, and mages in search of new reagents and components. Their fishing industry in particular is huge- only off Estkonian shores can such wondrous catches as the Megacarp or Mammoth Trout be found, and they fetch high prices on the international market. The size of these fish and the sturdiness of their bones makes the scrimshaw trade fairly profitable too- not just to collectors but to various tribal and druidic sorts that rely less on smithed goods and more on whatever can be carved and shaped by hand alone; such articles can last generations with proper treatment and care, and look quite fashionable to boot. Estkonia is governed by the Kwatinmet, a fairly large collection of representatives and officials from all across the nation. Lacking a capital city, the Kwatinmet simply meets at whichever town is willing to host them. The Kwatinmet is composed of almost three hundred people- every town elects a majority representative and a minority representative to debate, and all meet to discuss and make the necessary decisions to keep the nation running smoothly. While ostensibly the highest of offices and not really beholden to anyone but the people who elected them, the Kwatinmet rarely passes any legislature without some passing level of approval from the clerical orders, as much out of respect as out of fear. There are very few representatives who serve more than a handful of terms- most will only serve one or two before deciding that politics in an environment which treats politicians so harshly is not worth the rewards versus risks. Primary Ethnic Groupings: Arabics, Aboriginites. Estimation of Population: 5 million. Racial Census: 28% Human, 22% Dwarves, 21% Draconids, 13% Halflings, 7% Kemono, 5% Lutrosa, 4% Other. Primary language: Punjabi. Secondary languages: French, Bengali, Aquan. Nieron Back to Main Page